This invention relates to a handle for opening and closing a door and, more particularly, to a door handle capable of breaking a vacuum seal and opening a door in a single step, such as for the collector/exciter housing of an electrical generator.
An enclosed housing may have a negative pressure within the housing as compared to atmospheric pressure, requiring a sufficient force to break the vacuum seal to open a door of the housing. As an example, when a generator is in operation, the pressure inside of the housing around the collector and the excitor is less than atmospheric pressure due to the pressure drops associated with the ventilation system. During service, before an operator enters the collector and excitor housing, atmospheric pressure must be reestablished.
Vacuum break assemblies have been used in combination with door handles to open the doors. These arrangements require first opening a sealed vacuum break panel and then, lifting a handle to unlatch the door.
A housing door handle that both breaks the vacuum seal and unlatches the door have been used. In operation, as the handle is rotated, a latch cam disengages from a catch, and a cam assembly pushes against a pin to force the door open, while breaking the vacuum seal. However, this door handle requires a precise clearance between the pin and the latch, requiring each handle to be custom fit, resulting in higher costs.
Therefore, what is needed is a door handle which breaks the vacuum seal and opens the door in a single step and which may be easily adjusted to fit a range of pin positions for efficient installation of the door handle.